I’ll get some pictures up soon of the lovely village of Hogsback and its famous waterfalls. But I wanted to mention the “horse sellers” of Hogsback. These vendors line the brief stretch of asphalt hawking nearly identical versions of a “hog” for sale. For some reason, locally they are known as horse sellers. I did see some horses for sale but the only difference seemed to be that they were wild hogs with longer necks.

We were here for just a few days of relaxation and I didn’t really want to spend my time being hounded by these hawkers. So, since Hogsback is known as a sort of New-Agey place with lots of fairies and positive energy I decided to ask them to make me a fairy. “A fey-ree,” I said in my best South African English. “With weengs ahnd pointy eeyaws.”

The next day, I was offered several variations of the most diabolical looking demons. I suppose fairies are demonic spirits at their core but I guess I wanted something a bit more winsome. “No. This is nawt rayt. Thee weengs should be like the butterfly.”

Next day, more demons. So I thought I’d change tack. “Give me a hippo.” I was pretty much resigned to hiding at our guest cottage and just zooming through town to avoid these pestery guys. But Benjamin got it in his head that he wanted a hippo. So he did the bartering and ended up with a very nice looking warthog.

My hippo never materialized. Instead I was offered a rhino which looked mysteriously like a hog with its horns on the top of its nose instead of the side of its mouth.

I’m hard-hearted to the imploring and begging of these sellers. I know they sit on the side of the road all day drinking whatever booze they can scratch together with any Rand they can sucker out of a tourist. I can smell it on their breath.

Another time, driving down a tree-lined lane, a small woman held up a bowl of raspberries for sale and I instinctively zoomed past. I regretted it. Not only would the berries be delicious. But any money this woman pocketed would go toward feeding her family while her husband lounges on the side of the road drinking up any profits he makes on horse selling.